Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Now here's a meal that just screams summer in Minnesota to me.The first MN sweet corn of the season dripping with heavenly Hope, MN butter. Grilled grass-fed New York strip steak from Thousand Hills Cattle Company in Cannon Falls, MN. (I had the pleasure of sitting with the Churchill's, the founders of Thousand Hills, at FRESH and Tasty and they make you feel great about eating locally raised beef.) Thick grilled zucchini slices picked fresh from our garden topped with a Bacon Chipotle Slather Sauce. All eaten in the backyard on a warm summer's evening.Ok, I'll admit Bacon Chipotle Sauce isn't very Minnesotan but it certainly makes everything else taste great & the bacon is Nueskes from WI. The sauce has an wonderful smokey flavor from the bacon and the chipolte plus a touch of sweetness from brown sugar and molasses. We used Muir Glen fire-roasted tomatoes which also upped the smoky flavor.We put the sauce on the zucchini while it was grilling which gave the zucchini, a vegetable that can be bland, amazing flavor. I also liked it as a dipping sauce from the beef. I can only imagine it would be fabulous on a hamburger or hotdog.

Heat a large pan over medium heat. Add the bacon & cook until its crisp. Add the shallots and garlic & cook them in the bacon fat for about 5 minutes until tender. Stir in the brown sugar & tomato paste. Then add the vinegar, water, molasses, mustard, Worcestershire, tomatoes & chipotle. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt & pepper.

Slather is the perfect word - I would slather this sauce on everything! I wanted to pick up sweet corn this weekend at the Mpls Farmer's Market but already had so much produce that I need to get through first. But the in-laws are in town this weekend to help celebrate the hubs' birthday - corn for everyone!! (With a generous side of Bacon Chipotle Sauce!)